Guild Wars 2

A question was brought up in a recent discussion on whether or not it was possible for a character who’s above an area’s level (and consequentially scaled down) to be weaker than a character who is at an area’s level (and is not scaled at all).

This is directly related to how scaling mechanics work. We’re all aware that higher leveled characters get weaker when present in lower-level areas. But to what extent? How exactly does it work? Is it possible to manipulate the system or to get “screwed over” by the system?

When my group first arose with the question, we had been under the assumption that “a level 80 character in a level 20 area will be brought down to level 20 stats.” The question, then, was “how does my equipment scale down?” There are 3 reasonable possibilities.

1. Equipment doesn’t scale down at all. The player retains all of his equipment stats, and that makes him stronger than the area he’s at, despite the level.
2. Equipment scales down to the best equipment of that area’s level, as long as the character’s current equipment is equal to or better than it.
3. Equipment scales down relative to it’s effectiveness on the player. That is, a level 20 character with level 20 equipment in a level 20 area will have more impactful equipment than a level 80 with level 30 equipment in that same area.

1 and 2 make sense design-wise (if the intent is to ensure that the higher-leveled player has at least a small advantage), while possibility 3 can create some odd situations where a character is both objectively higher leveled and better equipped than an other, yet he is weaker in certain areas.

I did a small amount of testing and came up with these results:
If you are in an area lower leveled than you are, the 4 “main” stats – Power, Precision, Toughness, and Vitality – are scaled down by a percentage that I assume is based upon the level difference between your character and the area. That is, your “effective” statistics for that area are directly proportional to your “real” statistics. This IMPLIES that situation #3 is the case. However, this does not necessarily mean that the unfavorable situation before (of a stronger character being “weaker” than another character of a lower level) is possible; there are other factors to be considered and there may be safeguards in the scaling equations to prevent this.

I’m going to see if my “effective” statistics go down when I level up in an area I’m scaled down in. I’m assuming the % scaling of my stats would go down (since the level difference between my character and the area would be higher) but I’m wondering if the base stats I gained from the level-up would offset that so that I would not necessarily need to keep up on equipment.

Any DEFINITE input or reasonable speculation to how this works would be greatly appreciated!

It scales your character to keep you competative with all content. In truth i’ve found my gear becomes weaker than if i was proper level for the area but then again in a lower level area where the gear may have had only 1 or two stats on it my 3 stat gear kinda offsets it. The fact i also have more points into my traits and skills makes me more powerful as well which i feel is why my gears hit harder to kinda offset the different that those extra points make. And yes the difference is actually noticeable. For me as a guardian anyways.

Thanks! I’ve heard similar stories and the % scaling enforces it as well.

I have confirmed that leveling up in an area you’re scaled down to will reduce your effective “main” stats due to having a more severe % scale-down. This probably means that if you’re not keeping up in equipment, you’re going to be weaker even when you’re doing lower-level areas.

This does not take into consideration stuff like trait points and buffs from any new skills. I also did not do any calculations or tests on the secondary stats like health or condition damage.

Nashun.7253:

I have confirmed that leveling up in an area you’re scaled down to will reduce your effective “main” stats due to having a more severe % scale-down. This probably means that if you’re not keeping up in equipment, you’re going to be weaker even when you’re doing lower-level areas.

This does not take into consideration stuff like trait points and buffs from any new skills. I also did not do any calculations or tests on the secondary stats like health or condition damage.

Damage seems to be fairly on par from my guardian viewpoint. Maybe a little more. But hitpoints is another matter. In 25th level content i was around 3100 to 3200 hp. When i go back to it now it puts me at 24 and im around 2800 hitpoints. So a major difference there of 300 to 400 hp. Might not seem huge but at that level its pritty major. This is comeing from someone who’s in 3 stat gear.

Its just an EPIC FAIL dynamic of this game.

love how that post killed this topic, it’s what’s killing the game for me.

The scaling makes you quite a bit stronger than someone who is in on-level gear, especially at the lower levels.

At 80, back in level 10 zones, I can solo a champion that turned me in to dust at proper level 10. The scaling only catches up in level 60 zones where it’s about on par but a little easier, then at around 70 it’s almost impossible to tell the difference from 80.

I can do some testing in to the mechanics if you’d like me to though.

I like it, I for one was sick and tired of tools in other games being so bored that they run their mates who are lvl 1 through starting areas just blitzing the game and runing the mobs/atmosphere. I dont get how anyone gets any enjoyment from that and if all you care about is being lvl 80 and having all the best things as soon as humanly possible especially in this game then just quit life now.

Bassario.3465:

then just quit life now.

you make it sound like it’s easy, just flip a switch and no big deal!

cipher.9240:

Bassario.3465:

then just quit life now.

you make it sound like it’s easy, just flip a switch and no big deal!

well… lets not get into that conversation on second thought as these inhumanly fast forum moderators will deem it inappropriate in a matter of seconds, seriously they scare me. *looks over shoulders*

The scaling systems is very good , way diff from many mmos, it is really boring to 1 hit everything in your path when you are in “endgame” stated equipments. I farm for gold with my friends who are like 30 lvls lower than me. The scaling system makes them fight hard with me instead of looking at me rofl stomping the mobs and waiting to just loot the kills.

Leogolas.6941:

The scaling systems is very good , way diff from many mmos, it is really boring to 1 hit everything in your path when you are in “endgame” stated equipments. I farm for gold with my friends who are like 30 lvls lower than me. The scaling system makes them fight hard with me instead of looking at me rofl stomping the mobs and waiting to just loot the kills.

Nobody’s saying that it’s bad that the higher level characters can’t “1 hit everything in your path” but there’s VERY little sense of progression if you get WEAKER by leveling up. A huge part of the MMO experience for a lot of people is a sense of progression.